Material-handling appabatits



Dec. 17, 1929. D; R, KNAPP MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS 6 sheets-sheet Filed Aug. 6, 1927.

1I) INVENTOR llll ATTORNEY.

Dec. 17, 1929. D. R. KNAPP MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 6, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 llll. Llllllluull A' ATTORNEY.

D. R. KNAPP MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Dec. 17, 41929.

Filed Aug. 6, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR:

BYQM @14, 9

ATTORNEY.

N ww n v 27 SE I.||| LIIIIIII. IJ Il wJl i.. UTILUE m E Il l i L mm.

| Www- Dec. 17, 1929. D. R. KNAPP 1,739,598 L l MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 6. 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY Dec. 17, 1929. D. R. KNAPP 1,739,598

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS Filed'Aug. 6. 1927 e sheets-sheet '-5 INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

Dec. 17,1929. D. R. KNAPP MATERIAL HANDLING' APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Aug. 6, 1927 Ma/z ` mmf ATTORNEY.

--Patenfed Dec. 17,1929Y f 77157395598'.

` DAVID n. Kilmer, lor* rHILADELPiIrA,rENs'YLvANIA is/IA'rninfin-rmaDMNevv APrnmufusV y Application ineaY August 6,1927. seran Noi 211,119.

1.handlingvapparatus and more particularly 1 quent decrease in. production. .Y Y to the loading o material at one place,y trans- Some ofthe oh]e`cts of the present invention porting -it to and unloading it at' anotherv are to provldea material handling'apparatus The Vresent invention relates toj 4material vlaterale Y loss of ytime in re airs and consea P a v 5 place. By ivayof example, the apparatus of- Which overcomes the foregoing disadvan-l 551' the'present invention is shown and described tages; to provide'an apparatus which can be "ashandlingfcoa'l in mining operations, but 4operated and'controlled byone man inpl'ace Ythe invention is not'limited to this particular of ve for six; to provide an apparatus Where- Y material. 1 L production is increased many times over v 1o In the mining of coal it is the general pracpresent f day methods; to kprovide an. aut@ 60 tice tof-Work from a main nm-575 layge enough maticzloader for removing material vfromone Ito accommodate the ordi-nary minera-rs,y into place to another; to provide a 'loading ap- -lateral passages o r roomsl Whichfcorres'pond -'paramsOI'OPGHLOILH thin, VIlS CI Where .generallyto the height of the coal vein vand head room is limited' as yWell as in thick coal y vhen such -veinsaregthick dierent classes of V11iS;' floy providea self-propelledy material 65 f'shovels are used -to `load the broken coal into` ,loader whereby' loose and' partly loose ma- Y cars or (deposit it-'upon conveyor belts to he terial broken up; automatically loaded and transported to .ther loading, point. i Where transported to a discharge point and reloadedk Y veins are thin, say fromtwo to four Afeet in on cars; to provide'a materialhandling apthielrness; a very different anddifficult proh'- paratus Whichvvdoe's notrequire the use or seto lem is presented. because .of 'the lackof headftngup'of props,v or lother special equipment room for shovels, mine carsand-otherjequipin the P12108 0f use; and to plOVde Othelgmment. Head room can be obtained for thisV pl'OVemG-IIS LS Will helelllf'el appeal? *equipment by removing the top,or-loottomv Inv the-*accompanying drawings', Fig, 1

slate between which the Lcoal lies,{`buty thisy shown'inthe upper part of Sheetsl and. 2 75 i v-is expensive work..loecausebesidesy beingrerepresents a Vs ide elevation of a. material "moved to vmakethenecessaryhead room it has gloaderembodymg oneformofl thel present #tovhe' transported ont of the Vmine and de invention; Fig. 2 shown on Sheets 3 and 4 posited on refuseV banks. .To overcome this, L represents a plan ofthe same; Fig -shown. mechanical means have to be resorted to to `onthe lower part kof Sheets `land Zrepre- -80 remove the coal Afrom the Working face and sents a-sideelevationv ofthe loader with the' 'deposit 'it :in cars located in the mai-njen'try drum `in section; I Pg. 4 representsy ajse'ction yand the means now employedVv are rope oper- 0Hv 1.1116'147-450 Flg.l 1;,F1g- 5 T GPIGS'GHS 'if Y ated ScrapersV requiring anumb'er of men to fTQIl-Slemtlfm 0f ih e-lOffl- Flg.v Qreprel each .s'craperand greatlosspt timepinpre- .SQltS-a P1311, 0f a mln@ laYOul-ShOWvlnL the v85 paringtor operation. This is because props, PPMQWS ,th'IEFSent Wentffm and lts Afpulleys,l andY various auxiliary equipment".onmllldllllllsl:; 11g-Y 7 Wr-@5811253 Section mastbeset'up'loefore the.ropejoperated'scrapn.tletlalon .-lrug 1f alben iyfan @10a dyeul .o ad a@aantastenmaar o usuallyjoperated from' a double; drum rhoist .o' g VP Y l v Permanently mounted'm the mam entry folv Re'ferrino to the drawin's oneform ofthe the side rooms or lateralsand are severalhunb' D n Y Y present invention lconsists ofwarcylindrical y. dred reetromthe loadingfpomt of the scrapdrum lorof any desired diameter .and length y @TSV-V" In Consquence. the 'hOStxOPeatl has: togivethe required results,v is arranged to 95V t0 dflsnd-UPOD bellfrglmls slfll 03.11"@ `be propelledin lthe direction of the pile of not see the scraperS kllj Operltlolltfls quil@ material tobe moved and at the same time EL Common occurrenceY for a. scraperv to foul to have al rotating motion for collecting pur;l

` ajaclz prop or a'pull'ey causing roofbreaks poses. The end of this rvdrum 10v which is to,`

y 50, -andslides which endanger 'theloaders in V theLhe Worked into .thematerialis preferably'loof'" formed by cutting it on a plane inclined to the anis ot the drum 10, and one portion of the et the drum vso formed is provided with cutting teeth 11, here designated for convenience Z to 7275. It will be evident as the drum is rotated and advanced into a pile of material that a portion only oi the edge acts tocut int and break up the material, and hence that portion only is provided with the atto brealfzing or cirttingteeth 11. lhe opposite or discharge end et tie drinn 1Y0 is closed by lined senil-circular segment plate 12, while the opposite semi-circular por the tion ot internally or the drum 10 a helical feed flange orfscrevv 15, the outer periphery et W iich is rigidly fastened 'to the internal Wall of the drum While the'depth of the flange 15V varies throughout the length the drinn.

' This varying depth oi' the reed iiange or screw is so arranged in order to provide a relatively small axial receiving opening at the Working end of the drum 1G and which gradually increases as the depth ot' the flange decreases toward the discharge end of the drinn 10. Preferably the pitch of the flange or screw 15 is the saine as the diameter oi" the drum and hence between each convolution of the spira-l there is a chamber of sui'- licient lsize to hold a considerable quantity et the material being,r ted. Y

As la means for mounting the drum 10 'for rotation about its axis and also for imparting the desired rotary motion to it, a pair of arc shaped saddles 16 are provided and spaced apart axially ot the drinn a proper distance tov support the drinn for e'i'licient dife tribution oit' its Weight. These saddles 1G 'each consist el a body, such as casting, pro` yvided with suitably located bearing slots 17 which journal the hub bearings et supportingy rollers 18 upon which the drum is mounted. Each et these saddles 15 also provided with a pair of cap bearings 20, which are arranged to be bolted inv position after the drum has been mounted in the saddles, and these cap bearings are spaced respectively opposite sides of the drinn and carry rollers 21 vin rictional Contact rwith the uppr half oi" the drum 10 in orderthat the cannot torce its Way out-ot the supporting or base saddles 16. lt will thus be evident that the drinn 1G, ivhen mounted in the saddle 1,

not only supported in a stable and positive manner, but is also free to rotate relalatter tive to the saddles and With little iriction. Also, when so assembled with the cap bearings bolted in place, it is prevented :Frein being` forced out of the saddles and freely held for rotation about a fixed axis. lt should be noted that the friction guide rollers i8 and 9.1 of each set lie in the saine pla ne and between ring collars 15) 'last to the drinn 10 and in this Way end `tlii'ust et the drinn is taken care ot. ln the presentinstance, rotary motion is transmitted to the diu a l() by the provision of a gear Q2 last to the oulside et the drum 10 and in a location to el :tectively transmit the necessary torque 'for the purpose intended. ii toothed drive chain 23 encircles the drinn 10 in mesh with the gear 22 and also passes about a pinion Ell-l fasttothe shaft 25 ot an electric niotor i213 which is carried by a suitably lined part.

F or the purpose of mounting the saddles 16 so that the drinn can be moved in the di rection ot its axis either toward a pile of material or away theretioni to transport the material to a loading' place,` each saddle 1G has oppositely projecting bed plates which are respectively bolted, riveted or otherwise made tast to a pair of channel bars QS. 'lhese bars 28 entend lengthwise of the druni in parallel relation and each tei'n'iinal'es :it its enr-rs in biturcated heads 3G which respectively straddle sprockets 31 and are provided with bottom slots 32 which respectively receive the journal boxes 33 or bearings ot thc respective sprockets 31. he tivo aligned sprockets at one side of the drinn cariv a tractor belt or chain and the two sprockets 31 at the opposite side ot the drinn also carry a tractor chain or belt 235. lit interinodiate points throughout the lenf-th et both channel bars Q8 there` are rotativcly inounted toothed rollers 'for guiding- :ni-:i meshingwith the t 'actor chains 2-5-l and lhus in the preferred forni oit the intention.) the side channels 28, the sprockets 8l, the chains 3land 35, and the toothed rollers 3G forni :i tractor of the caterpillar type7 'which when operating serves to propel the carriage ol which the saddles are a part and thus advance the drinn either 'forwardly or rear- Wardly.

In order to transmit power to propel the endless tractor belts Sil and 35. one pair ot the sprockets 31, here shown as the rear ur, i arranged to be driven by sprocket chains 37 respectively encircling driven sprockets 3S fixed to the sprockets ill und spreker.

vWheels Il() respectively lined to the driving' shafts Ll1 et a pair of motors l-. 'lhese uiotors 42 are anchored to the respective channel l l 9o t U ".t Ch 11x" i l i 11 wt oais .io a opposi e ities oi i n. di ini il and located in relatively close proximity to the rear sprockets 31 to which each transmits power. Thus the tivo niotors operate by suitable control in or out ot syiiciu'ouisiu depending upon the motion desired and cach lof - is of course capableA of "reversal soy that the vsprockets 31 can bedriveneither forwardly or rearwardly.

'Since it is desirable of movement ofthe tractorbelts 34 and'35 clear of constructions, Ythe forward ends of the two channelbars 2S lcarry forwardly projectingfaprons 43Ywliich have an upwardly iiared scooping edge 44, the function of'which is to ride in close relation to the floor or yground and push any loose material o'r `ob-k structions out `of the way 'and direct lit to"- ward the front orpath'of the drui'n'lO. It

will also be noted that these'aprons 4 3 Vhave: a substantiallyvertical shield, part 45whi`ch is shapedY at oneside to conform to the con ltour ofthe drumand thusprevent material from workingalong the sides of the' drum.

Also lat the rear vend ofV thfe carriage there are inclinedzscoop membe'rsf46 located re-` pectively inv kalignment with the tractor-belts '34 and v35 to clear'the'V paths-for the'tractor feet'when the apparatus is driven rearwardly.

f For the; purpose of supplying current to the i several motors upon the :carriage of the drum 10, a Cable 4T carrying the niotorcurrent lead wires `is led from the rear of the Y machine and passes about pulleys 48 "lo'catedwheie ,necessary and terminates in a winding cli-'uni 50.l This drum 50 is fast upon a shaft 51 which Vhas keyedth'ereon a gear 52 in mesh Vwith-a pinion 58 keyed toa shaft 49 of a con- Y 'etant torque single direction motor` 54.v The lead 'or conductor wires of thevcable 47 tervminate respectively in lelectrical `bond with conducting collecting rings and 56 which are mounted respectively :upon discs 57 on the drum 50. These colleotingrings 56frotateiii contact with collecting fbrushes'S l mounted. in insulated relationgupon a base k60, andone'brush leads to thepositive source of current and the opposite ,brush to the negative sourceA of current. The Vmotor 54` re'- ceives its current by wayof conductors 61' and GQfleading tothe samesource ofcur'rent supvply butin one of theleads tothe motor V54 there is a fixed resistance 63 so that the full torque is maintained constant for cable takej-V In other words, the intro'ductionof the resistanceintoy the circuit' ofthe motor 54v allows this motor tov maintain suiiicient torque to always take up the slack ofthe cable 47 but insuiiicient torque tohainper the operation of the driving motors 42. In Figy l a somewhat diagrammatic mine layout-VV is shown'with the takeup motor and its adpincts located in a side pocket or recess G4 opening 0E of the main entry 65 through which the Y loading cars travel and thus it is out of the path of any of the movable equipment and the cable 47 can be swung in any direction .depending upon Vwher'e'the automatic loader is vworking while a three-way pulley set 66 `at the mouthof the pocket 64 provides for to maintain the. path changing'the direction of thev cable 47 as desired. Y

` vrlhe operation of the apparatus oanbezfol- Llowed from Figs. 6 and '7 wherein the main car lea-ding entry is shown with side laterals or passages 67 openinginto itfroinalevelsubstantially even with the tops of the cars to be loaded. As customary, the passages V67 communica'tewith eachother between piers or walls 68 which latterserve to shore tiie ceilings' and prevent collapse asthe veins vare worked. `Afterl the passages 67 arel fully vworked, vthe material of the piers 68 is taken out in the usual practice.v When removing the coal'from a passage 67, a blast is .usedto throw.

` down a mass of coal at the end of the passage and-the operator of the self loading and transferring machine'starts the motors 42y to adi vafnce the machinel into the passage.v At this time the 'discharge door 131s closed and locked 'S51 sojthat the entering material collects within 1 and'fills the drum 10. When the inclined cutcutting or breaking up action ofthe edge for onejrevolution and brin-gsthe niouth'edge of the helical flange toits scooping or initial material* receiving position. On the remainingv portion therefore, of this revolution, the forwardland rotarvinovement of the drum feeds thematerial into the space between-the first two convolutions of the helicalflange 15. VAt

the completion of tliepartial revolution the most advanced point of `the edge ll or tooth n is again at the top of thek drum while'tooth Z is again taking hold of `the Vmaterialand isr followedsuccessively by the tomatically been fed into the next `chamber anda new quantity takes its place in the first chamber. Thus rotation of the drum lOwith cons-tant forward feed results in the drum finally being filled to'capacity, and whentliis occursv the operator reverses the motors 42 lother -teeth'until tooth'ffnnis turnedaway n rfrom the material again. yMeanwhile the ma# iio *I -terial in the first chamber of the driunhas auand backs the machine out of the passage uny til VA'its discharge end is overthe 'car to lbe filled. lDuring this backingy out ofthe ma- 12o l chine, the torque of the motor 54 takes up the slack of tliefcable 47, maintains it undertenp sion, Yand avoids fouling'ofcable and' pulleys. r' p With the machinein',v position to discharge,

the propelling motors42J are stoppedrthe dis- `cliargedoor 13 opened and bolted in open position and the motorQGcontinued in operation. As a result lthe material is fed to the rear or discharge end and during'one-half revolution the open half yof the discharge end is downto alloeV thermaterialto fall into` the'` carand on the other half revolution the maL terialisbeingfed intothis end chamber of the helical `ieedscremf.

lWhile the mechanism of thepresent inventi on is shown in its preferredtorni ymounted upon a. caterpillar tractorgit Will he understood any suitable` vehicle canine used4 for? supporting and moving the drum. and its parts. Thuraya-Fior eiample,when*rook and other material isto he removedinfthel ormf lili/linie only aesingtle iormfis shownfin which this invention may he embodied, it-is to vloe um dorst-ood thaty the'invention is not limited to any specilio construction, but mightfhe applied to yariousforms vWith-mit departing trom the spiritoit'tlie iny'entionor the scope ot' the appended claims;

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. -Ar material handling!apparatuscomprisinga vehicle, a drum-mounted on said-Vehicle for rotary movement, said drum being closedl at one endandopenatfthevother end, `a con-- troldoor for the closed end of said drum,` the ogen end of said drum being);v provided With cuttingteeth, al helioalfmemloer liXed Withinl saiddrnm, and means to rotate said drum.Y

2. A. materialhandling apparatuscompr-is: inga: yehicle,a drum mounted onsaid vee liiele orrotary movement,` said drum being closed'at one end andopen at'theother end, a control door 'for the closed end ofsaidrlrum, theopen end of said drinn-heingfprovided' with cutting. teeth, a helicalmemher` fixed" Within said drum, means to rotate saiddrum, and means to advance saiclfvehic-lewhile saiddrum is rotating.

3. A material handling'iapparatus compris;` a veiiiole, a' drnmmounted on said-Ve :rer rotary movement andhavinggf oneA end oeyelled to provide a cnttngfiedgeyteethl on a portion olf said edge, a'helieal'member? mounted said drum, means to rotatersaid drinn;andmeans to moye said-toothededge into amass'of material Whilesaidldrumvfro tates.

el. AfinaterialL handling. apparatus #comprisev ing"` a' vehiclega drum mounted onA said Ve hicle 'for rotary movement and having` one end lievelled to provide a ciittingedge, teeth on a portion oi'f i rledge, a helical member mounted i iid .Linn forming,l a through passage of gradually increasing diameter, meansto rotate said drum, and means to move said toothed edge into a massoi material While said drum rotates.

5. A material handlingapparatus comprising'a vehicle, a drum moui'itedon said ve hicle" or'rotary movement and havingv one end hev'elled to provide a cutting edge7 a helical member formingI a through passage olf gradually increasing diameter mounted in said drum,means to rotate said drum, and means toI move said vehicle towards and aivaytroma mass of material.

6. A' material handling; apparatus comprising a vehicle, a drum mounted on said vehicle for rotary movei'lient, a plurality olf cutting teeth on a portion oi' one end edge o t said-drum and arranged to successively increase the depth of a out as said drum ro tates, ahelical feed member in said drum, and means to rotate said drum.

7. A material handling: apparatus comprisM ing a-vehicle, a drnmn'ionnted on said vehicle for rotary movement, a plurality of cutting teeth on a` portion of one end edne ot' said drum and arranged to successively increase the depth of" aout as said drum rotat'es, .a hejeal teedmemher in said drum having one end convolution starting in close proximity to the end tooth ot the series ol teeth, and means to rotate said drum.

8. A material handling apparatus comprisingta vehicle, a drum mounted on said vehic'le for rotary movement, said drum heilig" 

